Here’s what I know: Foles isn’t going to throw interceptions on 0.6 percent of his passes again. He’s going to miss DeSean Jackson, because for whatever benefit Jeremy Maclin and Zach Ertz offer, they’re not the same sort of receiver Jackson was, and there’s not an obvious deep threat on the roster. For whatever revisionist history is going around about how the Eagles knew Foles was special, Kelly chose Michael Vick to start ahead of Foles in training camp last season, and it didn’t seem to be a particularly difficult decision for him to make. Foles is a dab hand who does a good job of avoiding dangerous throws, and he’s good enough for the Eagles to win, but the system is the star here, not the quarterback. Foles could have a Pro Bowl–caliber season or he could be buried deep behind Mark Sanchez — or another quarterback who isn’t even on the roster — this time next year.

Did the Eagles do enough to improve their defense? Looked at one way, the answer seems like a big “no.” The Eagles didn’t go out and sign a star defensive back or draft an elite, quarterback-eating pass-rusher. It would be easier to sell this defense if they had. What the Eagles are counting on is an across-the-board rise in experience and comfort in Bill Davis’ defense. That isn’t as glittery as marquee free agents or high draft picks, but it may prove to be more reliable than either of those. And there is some foundation for hope. The Eagles’ defense really did improve over the course of the 2013 season. It looked a lot better in December than in September, and that is why the Eagles may have more new starters on offense than on defense. The front seven looks like it will be the same as it was at the end of 2013. First-round pick Marcus Smith will play as he proves he’s ready, but there is no reason to rush him when Trent Cole is playing as well as he did last season. Malcolm Jenkins is a smart and reliable safety, and that should help the secondary immeasurably.

Philadelphia is one of those teams where there are always a number of good contracts. They are one of the best run front offices in the league and are often signing very team friendly contracts. There were a few places I thought of going with this including Brent Celek (who got the nod last season), Trent Cole, and even Riley Cooper, but thought that the Jason Kelce contract was just a bit better than all the others on the books.

Kelce is one of the bright young centers in the game, having started every game he was healthy enough to play in since his rookie year in 2011. Kelce was entering the final year of his contract and would have likely become a free agent in 2015 as the cost of the Franchise tag for centers is usually prohibitive for using a tag on the position. Kelce’s deal was also important for the Eagles to do sooner rather than later since they realized that the market could potentially change once Alex Mack hit free agency, not to mention expected extensions for the Pouncey brothers. While teams were awaiting final word on salary cap possibilities the Eagles entered into negotiations with their players and signed them before the new salary cap rise was made public knowledge.

It’s impossible to overstate Foles’ 2013. It was a jaw-dropping display of ruthless efficiency, one that came out of nowhere. However you want to frame it, Foles was dominant. But is this really the man Chip Kelly wants to hitch his NFL revolution to? Kelly has more at stake than the average NFL coach. Like Billy Beane in baseball, Kelly’s tenure is about more than wins and losses. It’s a grand experiment, one aimed at upending The Way Things Have Always Been Done. Is Foles, a statue-esque pocket passer with average arm strength, really the best way to go about that? Part of Kelly’s philosophy is adaptability. If he was as much of a “system” coach as his detractors suggest, he would have never put himself in a position to play Foles in the first place. But it’s inarguable that, at its heart, Kelly’s offense is one designed to be run by a mobile quarterback. It’s also inarguable that Foles’ 2013 efficiency won’t be repeated, by him or anyone else. It would be insane to suggest there’s not a real chance Foles ends up as Kelly’s guy. 27:2 doesn’t just happen. But it would be equally insane to suggest Foles has upended all Kelly knows about quarterbacking after only 317 pass attempts. Foles has given himself a huge head start on “franchise” status, but this is a tortoise who could still be caught by the hare.

The NFL no-huddle statistics are dominated by two teams, the Eagles and Broncos, which use the tactic so regularly that they distort the overall percentages. The Eagles used the no-huddle on 68 percent of their plays; take them out of the league totals, and the tactic is only used 10.4 percent of the time, not 12.2 percent.

The question with the addition of Darren Sproles in the offseason is how he will be used in Kelly’s offense. The loss of DeSean Jackson had many believing Sproles would help out in the passing game more, but Kelly says he will mainly be a running back. Nothing will be set in stone, but at the moment it looks like Sproles will be the primary backup running back and get 6-8 touches per game, which is tough to rely on in fantasy.

Last season Jackson was the main fantasy threat until Riley Cooper emerged with the help of Nick Foles. It will be interesting to see where this passing offense will be with a full season under Foles and Jeremy Maclin replacing Jackson in the rotation. Foles and company were quite efficient with 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions on 317 attempts. Foles’ 9.12 yards per attempt were better than both Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning. So when we look at targets and receptions in this offense, we can be okay with smaller numbers due to the ability to gain big yardage and/or score on any given pass attempt.

Nick Foles has been spending the offseason doing cardio kickboxing at a Philly gym (“Just crazy stuff. It’s funny, it’s a lot of women in the class, but it’s honestly very very hard.”) and says his mom “can still kick [his] butt in anything,” which probably means that the Eagles should sign Foles’s mom.

At first glance, the 2014 Eagles wide receiver corps doesn’t seem quite as deep as San Diego’s was in 2013, but there are a lot of players expected to be rotated into this passing game. Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper are penciled in as the No. 1 and 2 wide receivers. LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles, Brent Celek, and Zach Ertz will also be in the mix. 6’3/212 Matthews is the favorite for No. 3 duties, which doesn’t figure to mean more than a handful of targets each game out of the gate. He’s the team’s best talent at the position, though. Maclin and Cooper have an experience edge, but Matthews is the superior player. Very close to an every-down role in a high-scoring offense, Matthews is well-worth a flier in the later rounds of your draft. You just may need to wait a few weeks for the payoff.

Foles has started 17 games (including the playoffs) for the Philadelphia Eagles. In those contests, he's averaged 254 passing yards and two total touchdowns with a mere six interceptions ... that equates to right around 20 fantasy points per game when you add in his rushing numbers. Even if we knock his average down to 19 points, he's still a top-five quarterback based on last season's totals. Foles could turn into a serious steal.

LeSean McCoy is a top-five "home-run hitter" in the NFL, writes FOXSports.com:

The best display of McCoy’s home-run ability was last season’s showdown against Detroit in a Philadelphia blizzard. That day, he had 219 yards rushing and scored a pair of touchdowns. But his ability to strike quickly helped turn a 14-0 second-half deficit into a 34-20 victory.

Jackson had a career year in Chip Kelly's offense, and the creative system certainly played a big role in producing those numbers (82 receptions for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns). He even had some plays where he lined up at running back and became an easy outlet option for the quarterback. Talk about getting your No. 1 receiver away from tough cornerback coverage -- unless you're playing Oakland, which found coverage optional in 2013. Jackson had 18 screens/smokes, and made nearly as many catches on drag routes when the Eagles just ran everyone deep and cleared the middle for him. You can call Jackson the "Drag King."

Q. Few college athletes in history have had the kind of freshman season that you had and your team had. How hard is it not to be satisfied, and as follow‑up, has Kelvin Benjamin officially made you a Panthers fan?

JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, in your question you said it all: All team. We had a very successful season because of our team. I was blessed to have an opportunity to play with Kelvin, and no, I'm still not a Panthers fan, but I am a Cam Newton and KB fan. I am an Eagles fan, to answer that.

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myeaglescantwin

There’s nothing to lose with Foles.

Dude was a 3rd round pic from the previous regime. They have NO better options on the team and no real chance to pic up a better replacement.

This dude has the mind and talent to be a good QB. This is the first time since highschool he will have the same offensive system in back to back years.
Give the kid a chance. We’re playing with house money here.

JofreyRice

Awww, too bad Barnwell walks back stating that Foles is a system QB with the line about how he could be a probowler or on the bench. Some brave stance you’re taking there, Bill. If he’s a system QB, SAY he’s a system QB, and don’t dance around it. People hate Prisco, but at least Pete lets you know where he stands, doesn’t dosey-do around his own opinions using phrases like “dab hand”.

And Prisco actually said much the same thing (it’s too early to anoint him, lets slow down the hype train etc) it’s just that he stuck it under a “Most Overrated” header. And then when people challenged him on it on the basis that there really isn’t much of a Foles hype-train he started defending his point to quite irrational – and often easily disproved – extremes.

JofreyRice

I’m a bit of a stickler. If a football analyst is putting out a column of analysis and saying “he might be good, he might be bad”, I don’t think there is much value in that. Everyone knows Aaron Rodgers is good. I’m not saying it’s easy, but that’s what the guy is paid to do.

Like I said, I’ll take a guy that states his opinion plainly. Even if he’s wrong, or I happen to disagree with that opinion. Too much mealy-mouthed weasel-worded corporatese in the world, in my opinion.

OldDuckMcDoc

Yeah, but in this case he’s doing a column on the top 50 most tradeable assets in the NFL. He clearly feels Foles has done enough to be on the list, but equally has to justify *where* he is on the list. So basically he has to talk about a player he (and many others) haven’t seen enough of yet to talk about with confidence.

Basically what he’s saying is that a combination of Foles being very good in 2013 + the importance of QBs means his trade value is high, but equally any team trading for him wouldn’t have the same confidence he’d pan out that they would have if they traded for many other guys on the list. He’d be a ‘high ceiling, low floor’ guy.

I’d see your point if it was a column solely about Foles, but he’s just a small (and unavoidable) part of a much larger article. And again, I’d reiterate that saying you haven’t seen enough to have an opinion yet isn’t being mealy mouthed or weasly. In fact, *not* seeing enough to have an opinion and stating one in loud and bombastic terms anyway (because strong opinions=clicks/ratings!) pretty much makes you Stephen A or Skip, and who takes those guys seriously?

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

The real issue is the list itself. Foles’ 650k this year for THE premium position while coming off one of the greatest runs of QB play with one more year on the deal is worth less in a trade than AP whose contract goes from 11.75mil in salary this season to 15.75 in 2017 when he’s basically done playing a position that can be had for far cheaper with less draft investment? Doubt you’ll find any real GM who would agree with that.

EDIT: Even worse is that Barnwell ranks Tannehill ahead of him. While I think Tannehill could end up being decent, Foles has done far more to impress already and has 3rd rd, not 1st rd, money.

OldDuckMcDoc

Ya, replied to you above on AP. Think he’s one of a few odd ones on there. I agree with the basic premise of what he says on Foles but I’d still have him higher purely because even a small chance of getting a franchise QB at low cost for two years is worth the risk.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

See, I kind of disagree with what he says about Foles, not because it’s technically untrue, it’s just the easy way to look at it from afar. Not that he necessarily had time, but there’s zero consideration given to the dynamics of the situation, with Vick having the locker room, etc etc.

I’m not saying the guy has to be a caricature, just that he can interpret what he’s seen, and make a clear judgment and prognostication about the player’s future. What an “analyst” “forecasts” before the season. That’s asking a lot? Literally anyone can make the case that Foles could be good or could be bad. As Dutch used to say, I could ask anyone on the Broad Street Subway to provide what this yahoo has.

I’m really not the guy that jumps on every national writer for not falling at the feet of the Eagles. I just think that with the rise of “intelligent football analysis” there should be some old school clear and plainly stated opinions. Of course nothing is concrete, it’s all a probability cloud, that much is understood.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

I miss Dutchisms.

Kamoteng Baging

That’s what the majority of Eagles football fan and pretty much everyone else is saying.

Prisco is imagining things. He was asked point blank in a local radio station as to who was hyping Foles. The best he came up with was “You couldn’t believe how much hype this kid has”. Feeling humiliated, he brought the jail in the old vet. What a female feminine hygiene product.

miketd1

Chip wants a QB who is smart and can get rid of the ball quickly. That’s Foles. If you can find a Peyton Manning on wheels, that person would shine in ANY system.

Bullwinkle

Agree completely. With only limited NFL experience, Foles has demonstrated the ability to read and influence the defense, determine the best option for the play, and deliver the ball accurately, even when receivers are closely covered. Those skills are much more critical than the ability to run fast. Also, his above average “functional mobility” in the pocket is underrated (and never mentioned) by the doubters. The kid is a smart and talented athlete. He has good feet in the pocket; he just can’t run fast by NFL standards.

Kev_H

Foles’ passing numbers on the run are insane as far back as college. I’m not sure why that seems like a secret.

dnabrice

He has basketball smarts, which helps him in the pocket.

guest

I’ve always thought Steve Young would be the prototypical QB for Chips offense.

Bullwinkle

He would have been amazing in Kelly’s O. He had a great mixture of football smarts, toughness, and athletic ability.

NCBiRDMann22

Let the Jameis Winston circus begin…I hope ST.NICK whoops some @## this year and calms down all this talk about he is just a one hitter.

Adam G

The logic behind Barnwell’s list jumps all over the place. Really would like to hear the explanation as to why Revis is on the list considering he was a free agent this past off season and anybody could’ve signed him to that exact contract and traded away nothing.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

Yeah, I had similar thoughts when I was reading it. A few of those don’t make sense, like AP being at 42. All the things he says in the blurb read like he shouldn’t even be on the list.

OldDuckMcDoc

There’s a few odd ones in there, but AP might be the oddest. He’s 29 and coming off a season when his YPC and total yards both dropped hugely (albeit from otherworldly figures in 2012).

Definitely don’t think he’s done or anything, but RBs can go downhill quick and I’d be awfully nervous about giving too much up to get him in a trade.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

Exactly. Plus, Tannehill. I edited my response to you below to mention that in no way should Tannehill be ranked over Foles in trade value since Tannehill has done far less. Barnwell is usually good, too, so this is a bit of a let down.

OldDuckMcDoc

Aye, it’s kind of a weird article all round. In the first instance, the criteria are…..unusual. Contracts matter, but you also have to assume teams have the cap space to trade for anyone if they want? And everyone is currently below average at every position?

The result is I found myself reading it, agreeing with many of the words, then getting to the rankings and thinking “huh?!”. It’s like one guy wrote the words and then a random number generator threw out the rankings. Lists are all about opinions so I don’t get hung up on who’s ranked where usually but there’s times here when the guy writing the list doesn’t seem to agree with himself.

Adam G

I completely agree. That’s exactly how I read it. If contracts matter how does Sammy Watkins not make the list? He was literally traded for 2 first round picks, and I’m almost certain Adrian Peterson could not get 2 first round picks in a trade. I actually have hated Barnwell since he defended Andy Reid in his last year in Philly and claimed he was underrated as a coach.

PhillySean

So….last year’s chorus of Chip Kelly=Steve Spurrier 2.0 has been replaced by 1) the Eagles can’t flourish without DJ 2) Nick Foles is Bobby Hoying 2.0 3) Using a pocket passer is radicalism.

Did I miss anything?

Kamoteng Baging

If everything fails, they can always use the drunk Santa booing of 1968.

MagatBrackendale

Yes. The team did not draft a 500 pound nose tackle.

tommy_the_k

Which scenario is more enjoyable:
1) National media calls Kelly the Belechick of offense and we’re going to score 40 points/game, team gets complacent , rests on laurels

2)The world at large has doubt, applies flawed logic about how we can’t measure up, team keeps a fire under its butt and we fans get to watch them prove everybody wrong

cliff h-MOAR white goons

good job Josh, you kept up the tradition on the ‘what they are saying’…i’m sufficiently annoyed and can go to lunch now.

Sconces

I hate writers.

Adam

Why is a 3rd round pick we’re paying peanuts one of the biggest boom or bust? If he sucks, we have a high pick and draft a QB. If he’s good, we have our franchise QB. We didn’t just sign him to a 10yr/$100+ mil contract that I missed did we?

OldDuckMcDoc

Think he’s talking about fantasy value.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

You think? I didn’t get that from his blurb.

OldDuckMcDoc

Pretty sure he writes a lot of the fantasy stuff on Roto, so just guessing.

If not, he’s doing it purely in the sense of “which guys could be awesome or totally awful/non-existent in 2014″. Certainly not doing anything related to real life draft position. Because Alfred Morris.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

We’re talking Daugherty right? I didn’t see anything related to fantasy draft status in his bit. Not that he couldn’t have been talking about it, but it seemed to me that it was just about how he thinks Foles isn’t the guy Kelly wants to hitch the wagon to.

OldDuckMcDoc

Purely based on memory. I could be getting his name mixed up with someone else. I’m old. It happens.

He’s definitely just listing guys with high ceilings and low floors in 2014 though. The “does Chip really want a slow QB??” stuff is eye rolly, but I get where he’s coming from. The fact he’s on the list is a compliment in many ways when you look at the talent/upside of the other guys on it.

PsychoPathetic1

He was offered a 1000yr $20billion contract, but Foles only wants $18billion so the birds can sign a FA or 2.

jpate

ehh i’m numb to national writers who don’t know what they are talking about.

Johnny_P

Patrick Daugherty’s comments are why the national media annoy me. I’d like to sit down with him at a bar and ask him A) How many ‘running qb’s have hoisted Lombardi trophies? (Psst: Steve Young threw 5 TD’s in his superbowl win – just sayin’) B) How many pocket passers have hoisted the Lombardi trophy?

miketd1

In fairness to running QBs, I think you have a “sample size” issue. Meaning, the Super Bowl has been played by 99% pocket passers — of course there will be few running QB winners. They actually used to make the reverse argument back in the ‘ol wishbone days: No one has won throwing the ball. Oops.

jimmy

Isn’t getting to the Superbowl part of winning it?

miketd1

What I’m trying to tell you is that the Super Bowl has only been around since the 1960s. From the 60s to now, most of the QBs were pocket passers. Guess what? Football existed before Super Bowl One (mind blown, I know…). For years and years and years (decades), QBs never (yes, never) passed the ball. Passing in general is a relatively new concept to the game. To sum up, Johnny has a sample size problem because he’s using Super Bowl winners as evidence that pocket passers are superior to running QBs when history — if you count ALL of football history — would suggest the exact opposite. Did you know that once upon a time the NBA had no 3-point line? Shocking, isn’t it..?

Eagles4Life

Spit out my water reading this. Thank you lol.

Robert Baer

I’m not sure how any true fan doesn’t know this. We have to go back that for to view our championships! “Throw it forward? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! THe *@(#* OTHER TEAM WILL PROBABLY CATCH IT! THEN WHAT?!?!?!”

Johnny_P

With all due respect to you (and the Eagles lone championship season) I put more value and care into the superbowl era of the NFL aka Lombardi Trophies. I don’t care if QB’s played offense and defense in the same game back in the day. The measuring stick for greatness in the NFL, in the here and now, is a teams playoff success and ultimately the amount of Superbowl victories they have. The average Joe speaks in terms of ‘how many rings does your team have’. That said, in the modern era of football, pocket passers rule the day. It’s taken the Eagles this long to figure it out. Guys like Randall and Vick (fun watching them, don’t get me wrong), weren’t going to get you out of the first round (if they got you there).

miketd1

Johnny: There are more pocket-passing Super Bowl winning QBs because not many offensive systems (in the hand-picked era you are choosing) catered to the running QB. The point I am trying to impress upon you is that not too long ago it was the exact opposite: offenses were catered to the running QB. Army (yes, THAT Army) once won three consecutive national titles and produced three Heisman trophy winners on the back of a run-first QB system. People back then used to think: “Oh, the measuring stick for greatness in college football, in the here and now, blah-blah-blah, running QBs rule the day.” And then they didn’t.

Johnny_P

Mike, I get the spirit of your argument. There is no denying that “once upon a time” those styles worked, at least at the collegiate level. From 1967 and beyond (yes, that was hand picked) is all I care about. Superbowl rings and the formula to win those rings have largely been pocket passers. Perhaps offensive styles evolve and the WING T offense might make a comeback and running qb’s will rule the day, but I don’t see it happening in my lifetime.

miketd1

Johnny: And styles change. That said, I actually agree with you that the best way to win consistently (like 3-4 SB appearances in 10 years) is with a pocket-passer. The league is just too physical to ask your QB to run as part of your base offense. Honestly, it’s more of a money thing — you’re not going to want to expose your biggest investment to additional risk. I don’t have a problem with your conclusion — just your argument.

aub32

I’ve never been a fan of that point. First off, when you bring up guys like Young, you want to argue he’s a passer. Yet no one is saying that a guy like Tebow will win a SB. Of course you have to be able to pass. I consider Rodgers to be a mobile QB. He runs. He holds onto the ball perhaps too long. Yet you probably wouldn’t count him. So that leaves very few QBs to even choose from. It’s hard to say “How many running QBs have hoisted the Lombardi?” when you only classify 3 guys as running QBs. Also, what if I asked, “How many pocket QBs have never hoisted the Lombardi trophy?”. When you look at it that way, there have only been a handful of “running QBs” in the NFL. There have been a couple to win the SB. Yet there have been so many pocket QBs. So there’s no wonder why they have won more trophies as well as more pocket QBs that have been busts.

Kev_H

How about this point? QB is enormously important and running is too dangerous. Steve Young is the most successful and greatest dual threat QB. He played 16 games 3 years and more than 12 games 5 years. After his team won the Super Bowl and looked like a juggernaut in 94-95, his injuries held them back the next two seasons. He was dreadful trying to soldier through two playoff games and they had to turn to Elvis Grbac in another.

So what’s your long haul ceiling with a running QB? Five full seasons led by a beaten up warrior with injury disappointment and what ifs?

Mr. Wu

I will take the one super bowl winning Steve Young season

Kev_H

Me too, but if you can count cards and put yourself in a better position, you count cards and put yourself in a better position. Ditching the running, even if you can run, extends the window a few years and gives you more chances to win championships. With Young as the man, injuries and all, the Niners averaged 12 wins per year for 8 years. Without him, they went 4-19 until Jeff Garcia got up to speed.

aub32

What about Rodgers and Big Ben. They don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Kev_H

You certainly can’t call Roethlisberger a running QB. Nick Foles crushes his career high rushing yardage in a partial season and Ben hasn’t rushed for over 100 yards since 2010. Rodgers does run a great deal, but I recall him playing it pretty safe, which his 4.7 YPA would seem to indicate (Ben’s is 3.3). The guys widely considered as running QBs are around 6-7 YPA. To me, those extra YPA distinguish between taking up open field and avoiding contact and running for as many yards as you can get.

I don’t have a problem with a guy taking open space, running under control, and avoiding hits. But RB-QB hybrids aren’t good long-term risks and some (I think Bruce Arians for one if I remember right) question them in the short-term too, since hits effect their ability to make decisions and process information.

I think your best bet is a clean QB with the lowest heart rate in the huddle calmly running the show and setting up the playmakers rather than being the playmaker. After all these years, I’m excited to see the Eagles turning to just such a guy (and if you are early 30s or under, I completely understand. I was all in on Randall Cunningham “the ultimate weapon” when I was your age).

aub32

I don’t want a RB playing QB. Tat’s not the point I am making. However, if have my choice of Luck or Foles, I am taking Luck 10 times out of 10. Look at last year’s playoffs. Rodgers, Luck, Kaep, Wilson, and Cam all made the playoffs. That’s pretty much every mobile QB making the playoffs outside of RG3 and maybe Tannehill. (I am not including Ben since you made the argument against him) Then look how things turned out at the end. A mobile QB won the SB. Now you may claim the defense won that SB. That’s a fair claim. However, look how much better Kaep played against that exact same defense. Meanwhile, Foles struggled against a defense not nearly as good and got bounced out in the first round.

bill

How did mobile Wilson fair against that “not nearly as good” defense a week later?
It’s kinda off topic, but it amazes me how the Foles haters downplay how that Saints’ D was playing at the end of the year. I will say this – if Foles had as bad a game as Wilson did against the Saints in the playoffs, there’d be a new high level QB here right now to provide him competition. Wilson was cringeworthy in that game, and he hung his best receiver out to dry multiple times with late mallards. He’s lucky Tate survived that game. That might rank with Foles’s Dallas game as the worst QB performances I watched last season. That Saints D was no joke in the playoffs.

Amar, CB who bought in

Barnwell says he ‘knows’ FOles is not throwing INTs on 0.6 % of his passes.

Did he ‘know’ FOles would do that in 2013 ? Are we all just killing time till Aug 8 ??

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

Hey Sheridan, when pick #22 came around, there weren’t any “elite, quarterback eating pass rushers” that fit the 3-4. They happened to be gone already.

OldDuckMcDoc

He’s inferring that Jordan Matthews, having been drafted in round 2, should have swiftly invented time travel, whisked back to 2007, collected 26 year old Vince Wilfork’s DNA, cloned him*, returned to the present day and registered VW Mk II as eligible for drafting immediately before the Eagles picked in round 3.

With what we know now of Jordan this hardly seems unreasonable.

*He’ll also have to learn how to clone adult humans.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

You assume that he doesn’t know how to do this…

OldDuckMcDoc

With Jordan Matthews, I assume nothing but awesomeness.

Not sure how the cloning thing would jive with his papacy though. Could always do it while on vacation.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

He re-writes rules. An innovator if you will. Which is clearly why Chip was drawn to him.

cliff h-MOAR white goons

like all innovators, they know there’s a fine line between life, death and happiness

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

Chip would have drafted Chazz.

cliff h-MOAR white goons

no way, i heard his mom tried to poison his oatmeal

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

She wasn’t a fan of his innovative way for getting her to make him and his friends some meatloaf. Haters gonna hate, man. Even if it is your mom.

MagatBrackendale

Not sure how much Wilfork you would want?

JB

Guess Sheridan is all in with Manziel… he wrote “It was fascinating when this year’s draft rolled around. Johnny Manziel was still on the board when the Eagles’ 22nd overall pick came up. Kelly could have claimed his franchise savior right there. Instead, the Eagles traded the pick to Cleveland.”

Hard to believe people think Manziel is going to be a franchise savior from the bench. His running around like a chicken’s head cut off will not work in the NFL.

NickS FFLC/GM/DPP/Scout/HC/OC

Sheridan is a clown.

Andy Six Score and Four

Have you met media mike? You’d get along famously.

http://www.corcommunity.com/ Kelce’s Beard

Really great that Grantland picked up the whole Momma Foles story, but somehow missed out on Big Pole Foles. Sure that one is going to gain him a lot of traction nation-wide. May have to grab him 1st rd in FFL knowing this year he’s not only wise to Kelly’s system, but will have the agility and endurance of a 34 yr old mother-of-3.

After having Chunky soup crammed down our throats all those years, maybe I’m just sour on Eagles QB moms.

cliff h-MOAR white goons

never under-estimate the endurance and agility of a single Mom, especially if it’s her first night out in about a year. batten down the hatches, you will not be in control that night!

Charliefoxtrot

I’ve often admired that single mom agility at Delilah’s.

OldDuckMcDoc

And imagine how much faster Big Pole Foles will be once he figures out how to run with all three legs!

cliff h-MOAR white goons

cant be easy. like riding a bike with the kickstand down.

Fly High

So what position would Foles’ mom play?

aub32

Couldn’t she just take the position left open by Donovan’s mom?

aub32

I skipped the other articles after seeing Barnwell rip Foles. I had to what the all in Foles supporters had to say.

Cyrus Robinson

Conflicting national views:
Chip Kelly is an average to below average coach (ranked what, 17th?).
And
Nick Foles sucks but Chip Kelly’s amazing system makes him look like Aaron Rodgers.
Which one am I supposed to believe?! Ahhhh.

Everyone talks about Foles as the 27/2 man. That’s a simplification sportswriters like. Objectively he was on the equivalent of his first year and, while he was pretty good, he was clearly not as good as Vick in the preseason. On the season he framed his outstanding year on one end by the first Dallas game and on the other by the Oakland game.
His job is to make the decision whether to give the ball to McCoy or to try and complete a pass. I think that with the experience gained, his apparent work ethic, the confidence of being the designated starter with no threatening 2nd option on the bench and with a better understanding of Kelly’s system (by him and his cast), Foles is more likely to repeat Oakland rather than the 1st Dallas game. I expect that on average he will be more effective (the offense will work better) than last year even if his statistics turn out to be not as good.

Addicted2MAmula

Foles will succeed. Will he be 27/2 no he will be 38/8 . I also believe will have more rushing TDs this year. JORDAN MATTHEWS!

Charliefoxtrot

I’d like some thoughts on what preseason is gonna look like playwise. Think we will see tempo? Or just vanilla?

aub32

I think we will see a few hurry up drives just to get players used to it and see how the refs handle it. Though I’d be surprised if we saw it more than one successful drive per game.

Charliefoxtrot

Gotcha. Thinking that those Pats practices would be pretty interesting. Can’t wait to see rooks against NFL talent.

aub32

I hear you. I can’t wait to fly up for camp and see some of the new guys firsthand.

cliff h-MOAR white goons

vanilla, and a lot less of the main guys, particularly offense. about the only good thing we got from Foles vs Vick (besides a few Delta Dutch’ism) was Kelly played starters more than usual.

Kev_H

Just for fun, do a Google search for Foles for August 2012. Pre-Kelly, he was atop the league in pre-season passing and Was hyped by media and fans as a franchise savior. Who are these guys calling him chopped liver and what we’re they doing back then?

MagatBrackendale

Babbling to fill space and sell advertising. Same as now. Same as a 100 years ago. That’s what most reporters do.

76mustang

Wish I was better at Photoshop – that profile picture of Foles would look cool morphing into an Eagle head, resplendent with majestic feathers and a powerful beak – surveying his prey, Foles is at the top of the food chain in the NFC East, and is going to shred opponents all season long and through the playoffs…ha!

John Swain

17 starts. Records as a rookie in those starts he had, even in the losses. Then look at last year. More records. Different systems. Different coaches. Same production. Anyone doubting Foles at this point, is either jealous or frustrated or in denial. I am not saying he will end up with a career like Bradshaw or Staubach or Brady, et al, but the results are trending to a very successful career. And all he cares about is tomorrow, the next game, the next throw, getting better. To all you doubters, what is your problem?

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